House collapses after suspected gas explosion in Essex

The collapsed house after the explosion in Clacton, Essex. Photograph: John McLellan

A house has collapsed after a suspected gas explosion in the early hours in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex.

Police and firefighters were called to the house, divided into three flats, at about 2.30am on Monday. A family of four was rescued from the roof of the building and firefighters saved a woman and a man from inside. The man was trapped under rubble.

About 60 people were evacuated from homes nearby. An adjoining property is also believed to be unstable.

It is thought that all residents have been accounted for by the urban search and rescue team.

The assistant divisional officer Martyn Hare said: "We believe there has been a gas explosion which has caused substantial collapse in a house which has been converted into flats.

"Firefighting operations are continuing at the scene. The road has been closed and neighbouring properties have been evacuated."

His colleague Neil Holloway said: "When crews arrived they were faced with a house which had almost totally collapsed.

"Four people had been led to safety and a woman was quickly rescued from the rear of the building.

"The urban search and rescue team quickly located a man trapped in the rubble and were able to safely rescue him.

"It is extremely lucky that no one has died here and it is testament to the skill of firefighters and the search and rescue team that everyone has been rescued alive.

"The fire is under the rubble and is proving hard to get to so I expect firefighting operations will continue for several hours."

A rescue dog, Kirby, who qualified only last Thursday, found the man trapped under the rubble.

His handler, Graham Currie, said: "It took him less than a minute to locate the man in the rubble and we were able to speak to him to confirm his location.

"Then it was a matter of removing the rubble to rescue him. The man was conscious when we rescued him."